The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Articles
    • Starting From Scratch
    • Common Wardrobe
    • Packing
    • Start With Art
    • Project 333
    • 4×4 Wardrobes
    • Weekly Timeless Wardrobes
    • Archives by Date
    • Archives by Categories & Tags
  • Support The Vivienne Files
    • Books, Clothes & more
    • Templates & Color Planners
  • Contact
Home » The French 5-Piece Wardrobe + A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Avoiding Boredom

The French 5-Piece Wardrobe + A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Avoiding Boredom

October 16, 2014
 
Let’s say you have A Common Capsule Wardrobe in black and grey, and you’re happy with it.  But you’re concerned that you’re going to get bored by wearing so many neutrals all of the time…  So one day you’re browsing through the internet, and you find a whole LOT of lovely, bright, good-quality blouses, shirts and sweaters at a good price. You might have always wanted to try these brands, but always been reluctant to purchase their items at the full retail price.  (the site is The Outnet – lots of pretties at prices that still aren’t small, but which are a ton better than the original retail!).
 
After a bit of thought, you choose to, for one season, indulge your affection for every bright color…
 
5 bright tops, to add to a neutral core wardrobe

Red sweater – Marni, blue sweater – Zadig and Voltaire, pink leather-trimmed top – M Missoni,  blue printed tee – Jason Wu, turquoise floral tee – Prabal Gurung

Remember, this is what we’re starting with in the closet:

 
12-piece essential neutral core wardrobe

Grey v-neck – Uniqlo, grey turtleneck – Uniqlo, black cardigan – Uniqlo, black v-neck – Uniqlo, white broadcloth shirt – Uniqlo, denim shirt – Uniqlo, grey tee – Uniqlo, black tee – Uniqlo, black jeans – Uniqlo, grey jeans – Uniqlo,  skirt – Uniqlo, faded jeans – Uniqlo

Since you’ve started with your solid core of neutral clothes, your seemingly mad indulgence in bright colors and a statement print isn’t REALLY extravagant – you, in fact, have a lot of different choices in how to wear your new items.  You can be quite casual, or rather dressy – you will be able to enjoy your new tops to your heart’s content, and never be bored!

 
12 ways to wear a bright top with a neutral core essential wardrobe
12 ways to wear a bright top with a neutral core essential wardrobe
 
Having a planned and organized wardrobe doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you have a staid or boring wardrobe; a well thought-out balance of neutral workhorse garments, sparked with bright colors and prints can still be practical and versatile.
 
Yes, The Outnet pays me a wee commission if you click through and purchase something.  That’s not why I chose these tops, however – I chose them so that you would learn about a really cool mail order option. Even if it doesn’t appeal to you, it’s fun to see some of the more outrageous clothes offered…
 
love,
Janice
 
The French 5-Piece Wardrobe + A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Add Bright Colors

Like this article? Save it to Pinterest!

Tweet
Pin102
Share
102 Shares

10.16.14 11 Comments

Tags: A Common Wardrobe, black, blue, French 5-Piece Wardrobe, grey, pink, red, turquoise
<<The French 5-Piece Wardrobe + A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Shades of blue, with Black and GreyThe French 5-Piece Wardrobe + The Common Capsule Wardrobe: One Special Outfit>>

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Thank you, thank you! As one of the "I would be bored" commenters a week or two ago, I REALLY appreciate your taking this up seriously. Of course, the result is stunning and stylish, as always!

    Reply
  2. Janice Riggs says

    October 16, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    I always to pay attention to you! Even though I could wear unrelieved black for the rest of my life and be happy, I know well that I'm not the only person in the world, and that preferences vary. And I'm GLAD that you have different tastes. Let me know what you're thinking – always. I am always listening…

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    The Outnet is great fun to browse, and the occasional purchase can really add life and specialness to a basic "commodity" wardrobe. Thanks as always, Janice! Christine

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2014 at 4:50 pm

    I have a wardrobe full of neutrals so this really helps.. I'm a classic style personality and a deep winter so it can all get very drab.. I have shed loads of tee shirts and plain cardigans and sweaters, some patterned wool weight skirts and black and navy smart trousers. I have tried adding in Blazers in black and navy and recently bought a grey tailored jacket. It's all getting a bit plain, would these brights help add some pizzazz?

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2014 at 7:23 pm

    Love your blog , you have given me so many great ideas over time. Off topic – I understand you live in chicago. I am going to the USA next year – New York and then chicago as my husband will attend a convention there. I would love to see a post from you on chicagos must sees , or your favourite places

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:06 am

    Great ideas, Janice. Would love to see something similar based on the common wardrobe for those of us with warm colouring.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:29 am

    I thought this might be a good online shopping resource for me, but as usual, the sizes do not go high enough. 16 is not a XXXL in the US. I'm sure I'm in the minority of those who follow your blog, but I would love to see you do something that might include women US size 16 and up.

    Reply
    • mollie.dirig says

      January 12, 2015 at 5:34 pm

      I'm with you, sister. It's hard to find quality 'plus' sizes in the US, well, I imagine everywhere.

      Reply
    • Kay says

      February 2, 2016 at 8:10 am

      I agree. I wear an 18 and this puts me out of the range for many clothing items. Finding anything other than black, white, and deep, clear, cool colors like red, blue and purple is almost impossible.

      Reply
  8. Sue says

    October 17, 2014 at 5:13 pm

    I've been trying to build more neutrals into my wardrobe as I already have lots of lovely bright colours, so I'm doing this in reverse!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    November 20, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    Interesting illustrations, but I don't think it's realistic to pair every top with every bottom. Especially that a-line skirt likely won't go with the same tops as pants, in terms of cut, length, etc. If I have volume on the bottom, I don't want volume on top, and vice versa.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo
The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

STAY UP TO DATE

Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Wardrobe of the Week: March 19 – 25, 2023
  • Build a capsule wardrobe starting with a bracelet in aquamarine and amberBuild a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet: Forget-Me-Not Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs
  • Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Wagen in Silberner Strasse by August MackeBuild a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Wagen in Silberner Strasse by August Macke
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 The Vivienne Files | All Rights Reserved - Built with ♥ by RockFort Media

THE VIVIENNE FILES IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES.